Hell & High Water
by lauraxxx
Summary: Maybe someday you and I will be together, maybe someday you and I will find forever, maybe baby, maybe baby, can't live with you, why, I just don't know - Maybe someday, lyrics by Black Stone Cherry,
1. Chapter 1

**Okay so I know I shouldn't be starting another story, but I just can't help myself. This story has been doing it's rounds in my head for a long time. Please let me know what you think.**

**This story will be high in swearing, violence, drug use, sexual abuse, and all the other horrible crappy stuff that goes along with it. **

**This story will also be flicking in and out of present say to years before, anyting that's a flashback is in italics. **

_I find it funny, sometimes, how I came to know the notorious gang Lord Billy Darley, a name that inspired fear in most people, ordinary people. People assumed that I was an old lay that kept reappearing unwanted, or that he was my pimp. I've heard that I smuggle drugs all across the country for him, and that apparently I've got a couple dozen illegitimate kids from Billy. At one point people were even whispering that I had done off with his mother and tried to snag Bones for myself; Billy only keeping me close so that he could watch that Ii didn't try and steal away his criminal enterprise inheritance._

_Even now, all these years later, those stupid rumours made me snort with laughter. Those ridiculous lies couldn't be further from the truth._

_Surprisingly I knew Billy before the shaved head and the gang tattoos. I knew him before he'd ever smoked a cigarette, before his first lay, before his eyes had turned to ice, and before he had his first kill._

_I knew Billy when he was just Billy, the stupid boy I'd been forced to sit next to in chemistry on the first day in middle school. He was just a lanky kid with a mop of shaggy brown hair, and the bluest eye's I'd ever seen, it was like looking up into the sky. _

_The lesson had started with a groan when the notoriously grumpy and malicious chemistry teacher, Mr Jackson, had forced the class to sit boy girl alphabetically according to our surnames. _

_I had sat timidly looking around the classroom with wide emerald eyes, waiting to find out what idiot boy I'd be forced to put up with for the year. My stomach did flips with nerves as the names of people I didn't know were read out; what if I ended up next to someone who wouldn't shut up, or worst, a know it all that would draw attention to our desk constantly._

"_William Darley," Mr Jackson said almost with a snarl, deciding already that he disliked him because of his family name. "Over there," he pointed with a long ruler. _

_Billy got up with a huff and carried just himself, no bag or pencil case, over to the instructed desk. "It's Billy," he grunted as he moved, the whole class watching as Mr Jackson glared over his glasses. _

"_And you will not receive any special treatment here, William," said Mr Jackson. The class held its breath, not expecting confrontation on the very first day of school. "I don't care who your father is."_

"_Neither do I," Billy replied, a cocky smirk playing on his young features, his brilliant eyes alight with amusement. _

_Mr Jackson stared him down for what felt like forever, before he turned his beady eyes back down to the list in front of him._

"_Alyssa Elliot, "he called, I stood up, hiking my old patched up backup over my shoulder. "Next to William over there." _

_My heart thudded in my chest, with every step I took my stomach felt like it was going to explode and a load of dead butterflies were going to fall out. This year was going to be hell, it was obvious that this kid wasn't going to play by Mr Jacksons rules, was he going to force me to go along with his disruptions and bully me endlessly if me refused? Was he going to turn my safe sanctuary that was school into another living nightmare?_

_At that moment, I was already starting to look forward to high school._

_I sat down quietly, dropping my bag slowly. I turned my head ever so slightly as I tucked a strand of my dark blonde hair behind my ear._

"_You gotta pen I could use," Billy asked taking me by surprise. _

_Without really looking at him I said, "Sure," before rummaging through my bag and handing him his desired object._

_Then he began doodling on the desk aimlessly, totally unaware of anyone else around him._

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The diner was packed, I mean seriously 'what the hell happened to bring all these people in here' rammed. Every booth was filled, the stools across the diner's front were all occupied, there were even people standing talking to people at tables sipping at their coffee's oblivious to the fact they were in the waitresses way.

As I bustled around the counter dumping my tray of dirty dishes at the window for them to go out the back, I heard our cook Andrew shout at me to stop taking food orders. "I'm too backed up here," he yelled flipping a burger and taking fries out of the fryer at the same time.

"Tell me about it," I muttered, before moving over to a guy at the desk waving his empty mug at me, filling it, and moving on before he could even say thanks.

The diner was seriously outdated, with a horrible green shade covering the walls, the leather of chairs, the menu's, the tiles, the waitresses horrible pastel green canvas dresses, even down to the toilet and sink! The white of the table's and the crockery were a welcomed relief from the engulfing green.

"Will you go clear table eight please?" Rose, the only other waitress on shift said to me as she dumped her tray of dirty dishes next to mine. "There's new people there, and I really don't feel like dealing with them today."

I smiled at her, she had already been there for twelve hours, meaning to of finished a couple of hours before but the other two waitresses due in hadn't shown up! I was eternally grateful to her for not leaving me in this shit on my own.

"Sure," I said, grabbing an empty tray and a cloth before heading over. I moved through the crowd awkwardly, trying my best not to bash any customers as I passed.

I moved into the table without even looking at its inhabitants- my mission to get it cleared and get them coffee as quick as possible. "Sorry, let me just-"

"Lys," a voice I knew all too well interrupted.

I looked up instantly my sparkling eyes connecting with two huge brown ones. "Joey," I said, unable to suppress a wide grin. I dropped the tray down and instantly leaned over engulfing him in a huge hug. "It's so good to see you, " I smiled, nodding in acknowledgement to the heavily tattooed man I didn't know sitting opposite him. He had a tribal tattoo swirling down the side of his face- one of Billy's, I thought warily.

"Bill didn't say you were back in town," Joe said accusingly.

My smile faltered. "I haven't had a chance to get down to see him yet," I lied. "Listen, I've got to get on." I started clearing the dishes away. "Ya want some coffee?"

"I'll take a burger," the heavily tattooed guy said.

"I'm sorry, we're not taking food orders, kitchens backed up." I scratched my thumb with my index finger, a nervous habit I hadn't been able to kick.

"We'll just stop at a burger king, Spink," Joey said rising from his seat as the guy called Spink did also.

Joey leaned in close again. "It's really good seeing you, Lys, shit we were all startin' to think ya were fuckin' dead."

I let out an awkward laugh. It had been a long time. "You know me Joey, I'm a survivor," I smiled up at him. "I gotta get back to work."

"I'll see you later," Joey called as he walked out of the diner, as if I hadn't of disappeared for three years.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Mr Jackson stared viciously at Billy as if he were a piece of shit on his shoe; this had been going on for months now, Mr Jackson would taunt Billy until he argued back before kicking him out of his lesson. It was bullying in the highest form, but Billy gave as good as he got, almost never spending a whole lesson without getting removed._

_We didn't really talk all that much, he'd ask me for a pen religiously and I'd always give him one, watching as he began idly drawing on the old wooden work bench._

_I'd started rushing to chemistry early so I could see clearly what he'd managed to sketch the previous lesson before getting kicked out. _

_He wasn't bad, the drawings were simply done, but were not of simple things. One day there was a gun, the next a body lying on the ground, the next a pair of perfectly large tits. _

_My eyes flicked to Billy as he stared dully at our horrendous teacher._

"_Are you deaf William, or is it just that you're stupid?" My Jackson asked. "I'll ask again, what group on the periodic table does lithium belong to?"_

_The silence was crushing. Nobody knew what was going to happen. Was Billy going to admit defeat or was he going to act out and make a scene to get out of answering the question? Whatever his response, Mr Jackson would surely put Billy in detention, something he seemed to of taken up as a hobby of late._

_Quickly I scribbled messily on my notebook 'group 1' and turned it slightly so that it was facing Billy; I didn't take my eyes of Mr Jackson as I helped another student for the first time in my life cheat._

"_Group 1," Billy grumbled out, his voice slowly getting deeper. He pushed a stray piece of hair out of his eyes. "And its Billy," he growled. _

_The rest of the class past quietly; Mr Jackson appeased by Billy's answer, left Billy alone letting Billy manage to actually get through the whole class undisturbed. _

_The bell rang loudly and with a bustle everyone got up quickly and piled out of the room. _

_I stood leaning in the corridor, finishing putting my stuff away into my bag, when a long arm crossed over me, before Billy appeared, encircling me._

"_That was pretty cool that ya knew that," Billy muttered. _

"_Uh yeah," I said terrified, wondering if he'd hit me because I didn't have any lunch money to give him, because that was surely why he was talking to me. Why else would he want to talk to pathetic me?_

_I stood still, almost shaking. _

_Billy looked me up and down taking in my old scraped sneakers, stained jeans, and black hoody. He looked deep into my emerald eyes for a second taking in my long blonde curls, the splash of freckles across my cheeks._

"_Me and some guys were gonna go get something to eat then ditch the rest of the day, thought ya might wanna' come" he said casually, like he did it all the time. My heart flipped with excitement. I'd never ditched in my life, I was always too keen to be away from home. "You can ask ya friends to come too if ya wanna,"_

_My eyes shifted uncomfortably. "My friends-"I stuttered awkwardly. "It doesn't matter I don't need to tell them, let's go," I said with a small smile, that was the first adrenaline rush Billy gave me, it certainly wouldn't be the last._

**Please let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is welcome. : )**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hiaaa, thanks to all the silent readers out there, I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks to JuliettePalpini1 who reviewed.**

**Italics are flashbacks.**

**Constructive criticism welcome.**

_Walking down the street slowly I made every step take as long as possible without actually stopping, it was something I'd been doing whenever I was walking alone for years now. It was easiest when I was on my way home, my feet already felt like boulders were attached to my feet, and every step taking almost every little bit of strength that my body physically held. It felt like walking towards a lion's den. _

_I shoved my hands deeply into my old duffer coats pockets, the December air singing my little fingers. Snowflakes had started falling earlier that day but had yet to stick, making it easier for me to walk the three blocks to my destination. _

_The streets were surprisingly quiet, I'd come out in the middle part of the day- the time after the ordinary folks had gone home to safety, but before all the villains came out to play. I'm not saying that Southie was safe during the day, hell no, I'm just saying that if you could avoid walking around these parts at all you'd avoid them all together. Even an eleven year old knew that._

_Though not once, until I was older at least, did I question that my mother sent me out to the store at this time alone. _

_There was a group of teenagers slipping slurpies sat outside the corner store, every one of them having a different shade of brightly coloured hair all styled in casual disarray. _

_The wind gave a fierce howl as I headed for the store door opening the door with a creek before my cold sore fingers had even began pushing at it._

_The heat from the store hit me in the face like a bucket of boiling water being poured over me, the heat was so high that it felt like my bright green eyes were drying up, instinctively I rose a hand to my eye before rubbing._

_Walking forward I headed over to the top of the aisle to where the bread and milk were my eyes scanning the store as I did. _

_Down the second aisle stood a tall Billy, looking around the store suspiciously, his jaw set in determination. Surprisingly considering the bitter weather he didn't wear a coat, just an old zipped up black jacket that seemed a little too baggy for him, as if it was an older siblings that he'd stolen. His dark jeans were torn to shreds at the bottoms revealing a pair of dirty sneakers. _

_Beside him stood a little boy who couldn't have been more than five or six, his arms poking out awkwardly from the amount of layers he obviously had piled on. Like Billy, his hair was dark and shaggy and in need of a cut, his cheeks still held the chubbiness of childhood._

_I thought back to that day Billy had casually asked me to ditch with his friends, I remembered how I had followed them all the way to the school gates silently wondering what the hell I was doing before turning around wordlessly and rushing back to school terrified of the consequences. I have no idea how long it took Billy and his friends to realise I was no longer trailing behind._

_Billy hadn't asked me to ditch again. In fact the only thing he said to me in the weeks that followed was to ask for a pen._

_I grabbed the groceries I had been sent out to pick up and headed down to the register, determined to get back into the cold away from the unbearable heat. I'd always preferred the cold weather to the hot weather, I guess it's lucky I lived in Boston._

_Billy and the little boy stood in the cue, a box of cereal held in the little one's hand. As they moved forward the young boy put the box on the counter gently._

"_My mom gets credit here," the older boy said quietly, almost embarrassed. _

_The store clerk looked down blankly before letting out a sigh as if he heard this all the time. "No store credit," he said dully. _

"_Fuck man, just let me have them. I'll bring in the cash in the fuckin' mornin'" Billy said darkly, his voice raising._

_The clerk pointed to a sign attached to the register. " .CREDIT!" He said arrogantly, his voice raising to match Billy's. _

"_Hey fuck you man," Billy cursed angrily knocking the cereal to the floor before grabbing the little boy's arm to drag him away. "C'mon Joe."_

_The store clerk watched them go, his blank eyes revealing nothing. "Fuckin' punk," he muttered to himself as I put my goods on the counter with a small smile. I swung my backpack around pulled out the five dollar bill out from a small inside compartment. _

"_That'll be five bucks," he said. I handed him the note and shoved my items into my bag, my eyes looking around quickly._

"_Hey how much is the engine oil," I said sweetly pointing the bottom shelf behind the counter. "My mom wants to know."_

_The clerk sighed dramatically as if I was asking him to do some punishing task, he turned and bent his spotty head out of sight, that's when I moved._

_Quicker than I had ever moved before I grabbed the discarded cereal and shoved it quickly into my bag squishing the box as it rammed in, ripping the zip shut and heading for the door before the clerk had even re-appeared. _

_The cold hit me like a knife in the chest but that didn't bother me, my almond shaped eyes scanned the streets desperately looking for Billy and the little boy. I saw them heading quickly in the opposite direction I had come from- they obviously didn't play the same slow pace game as I did._

_The sky had darkened to an almost black as I started to run down after them not wanting to draw attention to myself by calling. The road was slippery with ice and more than once I skidded only just saving myself._

_Eventually I caught up with them and as I tried to slow I slipped on some black ice, screeching loudly, luckily gripping the steel link fence that was next to me. _

_He turned around quickly his sharp eyes piercing mine inquisitively. My cheeks flushed instantly as I straightened up. "Hi," I mumbled._

"_Yeah," he said moodily not reacting to my almost humiliating situation. I wasn't sure if he'd seen me stagger. I wasn't even sure if he had seen me in the store._

_I smiled awkwardly, almost unable to speak. The little boy Joe looked up at me with massive eyes, his button nose was bright red from the cold._

_Without a word I spun my backpack around and began unzipping it, as the two boys stared at me in confusion I pulled the cereal out before handing it to Joe with a smile before rummaging deeper and pulling the milk I'd bought for my mother out too._

"_For ya," I said holding the milk out waiting for Billy to take it. He just stood there staring me down, his mouth a tight line._

_He cracked his neck before looking at a car noisily passing up. "We don't need ya fuckin' charity," he spat, his shoulders wide and proud. _

"_I didn't buy these," I lied, well only about the milk. "Ya wanted them so I took them," I said feigning confidence, my heart shuddering in my chest, my fingers shaking. I hope Billy thought it was due to the cold. _

"_Billy, I'm hungry," Joe whined._

_Billy pursed his lips angrily before taking the milk from me, his eyes not meeting mine for a second. Without a word he turned with Joe and began walking away, Joe carrying the cereal and Billy the milk._

_I stood for a second before turning around and starting to walk slowly home, scared the store clerk would see me and call the cops._

"_Hey," Billy called after me. I turned quickly, my hair flying around my face as snow drifted into it. "I'll see ya in school tomorrow."_

_I smiled and waved timidly, turning on my heel and heading home again, terrified of the consequences of not coming home with everything on my mother's list. _

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I'm exhausted," Rose said, leaning her head down in the diner's counter, her auburn hair fanning out over her. "I'm so glad there's only an hour to go," she whined turning her head to look above the big clock above the door.

I wiped the counter down, wiping around her with a smile. She laughed quietly standing back up and wiping the part of the counter she'd been leaning on with her own cloth.

My feet throbbed as I headed out the back to grab the bucket of cutlery and napkins, planning them on wrapping them all up ready for the next day. The bucket was surprisingly heavy as I carried it under one arm and the box of napkins under the other. Pushing the swinging door open with my butt I headed back into the diner with my back to the counter.

I turned and had tried to suppress my shock as I saw a familiar face sitting at the diner counter putting a mug of hot coffee to his perfectly sculpted lips.

Billy Darley.

"Hi," I said, almost as timidly as I had that day in the street all those years ago.

His steely eyes looked through me. They rooted me to my spot, unable to move or speak while he cut through me. Billy's eyes were formidable. They were the eyes of a man who had seen too much, done too much, the eyes of a man that was hardened to the world, that couldn't be broken. They were cold and calculating, strong and persuasive.

And just as beautiful as they always had been.

"Been a long time," he said gruffly, his orbs finally flicking away, releasing me from my spot. I watched as he shoved a cigarette into his mouth, lighting it quickly.

I moved so that I was standing in front of him, scratching my thumb nervously and tucking a stray piece of hair that had fallen from my messy pony behind my ear with the other. My lips parted, though no words came out.

His eye's fell on to my open mouth. "What happened to your lip?" he asked, smoke swirling through his mouth.

I snapped out of my semi trance quickly, shutting my mouth quickly, my cup lip stinging with the pressure.

"I fell," I explained. "What happened to your face?" I asked jokingly, trying to get our old banter back.

He smirked leaning back into his chair.

"You're as funny as a bad fuckin' lay; I see ya still can't put a fuckin' foot in front of the other without falling."

Smiling I leaned forward my elbow's on the newly cleaned counter.

"Everything okay?" Rose asked, obviously knowing who Billy Darley was.

Billy glared at her with such venom it sent shivers up my spine, poor Rose must of shit herself.

"Billy's an old friend," I said with a small smile, hurting my split lip again.

With a gulp Billy swigged at the last of his coffee. "Let's go get a real drink."

I shook my head, "I'm working Bill," his eyes narrowed in on me. "I'm not eighteen anymore, I can't just take off from work without caring."

Rose interrupted. "Take off, me and Andy can close, we're dead anyway."

I sent her 'are you sure eyes' before smiling and thanking her desperately; I rushed to grab my bag and followed Billy out the door.

Billy was already sitting in his car, one arm resting on the window waiting for me. I slipped into his beloved car as if I'd been riding around in it yesterday.

"Listen," I sighed. "I can't go to the bar with you, I stink from work, but ya can give me a ride home." I smiled.

He nodded without a word, his face a blank canvas.

I gave him my address and he took off with a screech; an old rock song played from the radio and the ashtray was overflowing with cigarette butts, the floor was littered with takeout food containers.

"Ya disappeared," he murmured, his voice like velvet.

I nodded, hair falling in my face, this time I did nothing to remove it. "Ya know what I'm like Billy." I paused, pursing my sore lips. "I'm a fuck up, when my head goes, I get up and I go. But I always come back, ya know that."

He didn't say anything for a long time. "Ya not normally gone for three fuckin' years, Lys," he spat angrily.

"I needed time," I spat back, folding my arms across my chest. "Why can't we just be fuckin' happy to see one another, instead ya sit here-"Billy interrupted me with what sounded like a snarl.

His jaw was taught with anger. "Happy to fuckin' see me, huh, where've ya been since ya got back? I ain't seen ya at my fuckin' door," he raged.

"Am I supposed to apologise for not needing ya to pick me out of the fuckin' gutter again?!"

"Ya supposed to let ya family know ya not fuckin' dead!" he growled.

I curled my fist uselessly in my lap. "I remember pretty fuckin' vividly ya sayin' I was nobody to ya anymore, remember that Bill." His fists curled over the steering wheel, his strong knuckles turning white. "My house is there," I muttered.

His threw on the brakes, the car screeching to a halt in the middle of the road.

Furiously I turned to open the door planning on slamming it in Billy's face and disappearing inside away from him. He roughly grabbed my slender wrist spinning me round to face him; rogue tendrils spun away from my dishevelled ponytail.

Billy's hand was as warm as it always had been, rough callouses covering his fingertips and the pads of his hands.

He leaned forward slowly, his free hand reaching up to the back of my head pushing me towards him. Our eyes locked, warm green against the iciness of his blue; our foreheads touched in a gesture that made me melt instantly a variety of thoughts running through my head. Trust, family, home.

Gently he let go of my head though we stayed like that for just a few seconds more before he pulled away, sniffing and wiping under his nose.

"It's been good to see ya," I muttered leaning forward quickly placing my lips to his hollow cheek for the smallest of seconds before jumping out of the car and rushing inside without looking back.

**Please let me know what you think. I promise more Billy Darley goodness if you do : D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello : ) **

**Thanks to MissTiff007, norcalpc, shelbyylinn for reviewing the last chapter, and thanks to the people who alerted this and of course all the silent readers- would love to hear your thoughts/ suggestions on this story.**

**I've decided to continue this story in third person narrative, let me know if you prefer it and if you guys do I'll re-write the first two chapters to fit it.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this…. On with the show….**

_I know you feel let down,_

_And I know you've been turned out,_

_I wish I'd been there for you_

_So when the night time comes around,_

_And you feel like an only child_

_Just know, I'll be there for you._

_Hell and High water- Black Stone cherry._

_Smoke swirled in the room as though a bomb had hit, a thick haze blanketing the room in a heavy cloud. Music played heavily in the background, some band that was barely recognizable then and completely unrecognizable now played idly in the background as the long carefully rolled joint was passed around the small cramped damp basement. There were only five occupants in the room, but with the joint going around and the constant cigarettes that were being lit turned the room into a cloud that had numerous people floating in it._

_The joint was passed freely to Billy who took his two tokes before passing it on to Lys, brushing his unruly brown hair out of his eyes as he did. Alyssa took it without request, already used to this casual passage before passing it onto the guy who seemed far too old to be hanging out with the instead._

_The guy smiled happily as she passed it alone, gleefully taking her two puffs for her before he handed it to Billy's and she guessed her friend Charlie. Two years before when she had been introduced to Charlie Bodie, she had instantly liked him, a boy of the same age with a dark complexion and equally dark questioning eyes he had welcomed her with a wide white grin and with a playful demeanour, as how you would welcome a new mischievous puppy to the family._

_Lys didn't care though, she had been glad to have Billy as her friend, let alone his friend's tolerate her before slowly warming to her too innocent self. They soon took it upon themselves to corrupt her innocent outlook on life- if only they had known it had been already damaged beyond repair. _

_Billy's pale eyes narrowed in on her as she passed it to the unnamed stoner. "What?" she asked, her voice sounding higher than she would've liked. He shook his head lightly before continuing his conversation with a boy a few years older than them- who's basement they were in- and turning his shaggy head away from her. She was always worried that if she didn't keep up with the wild teenage reckless persona that Billy projected he would ditch her, leaving her alone again with no friends and only books to keep her company. Over the last two years he'd been her only confidant, his friends had become her own she supposed, but nothing on the level Billy had. Ever since the day at the grocery store he had treated her with a sort of reverence, a respect she received from nobody else, a friendship she had only ever dreamed of having. _

_The day after she had stolen that box of cereal from the old corner store he had invited her to ditch again with him, and this time she didn't even think about bailing, knowing that this was a last time attempt at a friendship, and shit, she needed some friends. Since then their friendship had blossomed, both hitting it off instantly, banter being thrown back and forth in a way that Lys had only ever dreamed of being able to communicate. If she was being really honest with herself she wasn't even sure why he continued to hang out with her, she was a geek, a nobody, and he was badass Billy Darley, the punk of middle school. He'd managed to keep his unruly attitude into their freshmen year into high school too, still keeping his reckless friends and her- the odd one in the group, the shy little sunny haired girl who'd be curled up with a book one minute and smiling as she puffed on a joint the next, always looking for her dear friends approval. _

_She turned to Billy slowly brushing a newly dyed pink tendril out of her face and brushed him lightly on the shoulder, the way someone touched some they had known forever and needed only slight body movements to indicate there thoughts. He turned, his eyes a glassy glaze from the weed he'd been enjoying._

"_I'ma take off," Lys said casually. "My dad want's me home early tonight," she grimaced slightly. _

_He nodded, understanding that her father was a nasty piece of work and would go nuts if she was late. "Ya gonna' be about tonight?" he asked, already knowing the answer. She never refused._

_She smiled slightly her blonde hair falling onto her face once more. "Obviously, I'll see ya at one? The underpass?"_

_Billy nodded in acknowledgement as she stood pressing her recently jacked denim skirt down against her slender thighs, her checked shirt tied loosely around her waist. He watched as she headed up the stairs of the dingy basement shouting goodbyes to everyone in the room, knowing she was heading home to hell, but not really knowing how bad it could possibly be._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

The music boomed through the room, the heavy grunge music drowning in everyone's ears, the rifts flowing through ever person's blood.

Lys danced slowly, swinging her small hips from side to side completely oblivious that she wasn't following the beat but still looking like she belonged on the dance floor of the small grotty underground rock club that she had thrived in years ago. The floor was grubby and the air heavy with smoke, but she loved the place. It was filled with nostalgia, she remembered coming her aged fifteen and dancing to barbaric sounding bands all night long, loving the heavy drums and blinding rifts. She felt like she was young again, and free.

The song changed to a more modern annoying type of rock that she certainly didn't approve of so with a clomp of her heavy pink Dr Martens she headed over to the bar already feeling buzzed but feeling like she needed a beer to continue the happy wave she was surfing.

She leaned over the sticky bar trying to get the bartenders attention noticing how he was spending a lot of time servicing two really young girls with their breasts hanging out instead of getting her a drink. She looked down at her late twenties C cup breasts before leaning back over the counter flagging for service. He ignored her. Shit, when did she get old?

Before she knew what was happening a leather clad arm reached over the bar and pulled two beers from it, without paying, then handed one to her.

Her ghostly green eye's turned to find Billy standing next to her, his obligatory smirk etched on his ivory skin.

"What ya doin' here?" she asked taking the beer, her eyes narrowed in on his tall frame.

He wiped under his nose with a perfectly long finger before swigging at his beer. "No hello?!" he asked rhetorically over the booming music. "Whoo-wee, I feel fuckin' loved Lys," he lit up a cigarette as casually as is breathing air.

He blew the smoke right down into her delicate face.

"I knew I'd find ya here," he continued, his accent still as thick as the day Alyssa had upped and left.

She gave a small smile before looking over into the crowd of the bar; Billy's cold eye's followed hers as they scanned the crowd.

Quickly he put his calloused hand on her waist stiffening her under his touch before leaning in close to her ear. "Why ya avoiding me Lys?" he asked as a tall red headed man came through the crowd his hand resting on Alyssa slight shoulder.

Billy looked up with a glare, leaving go of Lys small waist the second he saw her look into the pallid guys face, whispering words he could not hear.

"Billy, this is Ethan, Ethan this is Billy." She said nervously her eyes flicking back and forth between cold blue and warm hazel. "Billy ya remember Ethan from school right?"

"No," Billy growled puffing on his cigarette.

Ethan stepped forward cautiously. "I think we had gym together," he said politely.

Billy stared blankly at him as if he hadn't spoken.

Ethan's forestry eyes turned on Lys. "I'm getting tired, wanna' head home?"

Lys faltered for the smallest of seconds before Billy chirped in. "I think she wants to have some with her fuckin' friends."

Ethan looked from Billy to Lys is torn face before nodding silently at her.

Billy watched as Alyssa placed a gentle hand on Ethan's face before leaning up and pressing the softest and quickest of kisses to his face before he walked off. The type of kiss when you know there are going to be millions more, when you know it is just a brief separation compared to the lifetime you'll spend together.

Lys' almond shaped green eyes turned on Billy in a narrow slit.

"So," Billy said cockily. " Let's go get that real drink."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"How'd ya know that jackass?" Billy asked as his black mustang thundered through the streets of South Boston.

Lys' round lips opened in an 'o' shape. "I met up with him when I was crashing at a friend's down in Chelsea-"Billy interrupted.

"Ya were that close and didn't think bout dropping by?" he roared.

Lys ignored him with a roll of her eyes. "And we started dating, and now that Jackass you mentioned earlier I live with." Billy's jaw clenched tightly; he didn't like it, that kid was a prick in high school and was probably a prick now.

Silence filled the car as they boomed down rough looking streets, the streets becoming more obviously poverty stricken the further into Southie they dwelled. Lys glanced a look at Billy who looked determined, his eyes facing dead pan on the road, his knuckles tight and white on the steering wheel. His bald head freshly shaven, his unshaven upper lip and chin looking uncared for.

"The Four Roses?" Lys almost yelled. "Ya still come here?"

Billy grunted in reply as he threw the car into park with a screech before quickly getting out of the car, Lys following him excitedly.

They walked side by side into the smoky bar both knowing which table they were heading for. The gang's usual table was filled with Bodie, the guy with the tattoo on his face that Lys had met at the diner, Heco a no good heroin lover that Lys had never understood why Billy kept around, and Baggy, someone Lys had intensely disliked for years.

Billy slipped into one of the side seats as though it was his throne as Bodie stood up with a wide toothy grin. "Shit, I thought it was just a rumour, the Queen of Southie back to put us all in are fuckin' place." Billy smirked, Baggy grimaced aggressively.

"Good to see ya Bodie," she said as she leaned in hugging her old friend close to her sniffing in his strong cologne. "Ya still wearing that fuckin' old spice shit man?" she joked with a smile as Bodie pulled away repositioning his dark beanie.

"Hey fuck you man," he replied with a smile. "Sit ya ass down and take a shot."

"Gladly," Lys replied seating herself on a stool next to Billy and picking up a random shot off the table before throwing it back. The familiar burn etched its way down her throat attacking her body, reminding her of home.

Baggy scowled. "That was my fuckin' shot," he grumbled.

Billy's stony eyes glared at Baggy shutting him up instantly. "I'd fuckin' behave if I was ya, Bag," he growled causing Baggy to get up quickly, his chair falling backwards as he headed over to the pool table.

"Well I see some things never change," Lys commented with a smile. "Now why are there only a couple of empty shot glasses on this fuckin' table? Where's the bottle boy's? Don't tell me you've all gotton' old on me whilst I've been gone!"

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"_Mary had a little lamb, little lamb; Mary had a little lamb-"Alyssa mumbled to herself trying to focus on the bedside lamp, her emerald eyes dead._

"_What was that little girl?" the old obese man grunted into her ear as he pumped her tiny frame ruthlessly. He roughly brushed a piece of fallen hair out of her face taking away her shield before laying a sloppy rotten kiss on her temple before continuing to pump himself into underage oblivion._

_Lys gritted her jaw and flicked her thumb with her forefinger, her mind scramming for a safe place, her body a lump of meat unmoving and accepting. She knew the drill by now, had lived through it countless times, but couldn't quite find that safe place in her mind that all the self-righteous fucks talked about on daytime TV. How they said that sexual abuse victims after a certain period of time would find a 'safe haven' to go to during their traumatic encounters. Lys had yet to find this place; did she really have to go through more to find it? She had settled for singing old nursery rhymes to herself and pretending and wishing she was dead. That was working for now, she supposed, she hadn't began crying during one of her 'fathers clients' paid experiences recently. It had saved her body some unwanted bruises._

_The old man grunted loudly into her ear as spat flew out of his mouth landing in her ear as he emptied himself just in time._

_There was a loud knock on the door before it opened, shedding light in the dark room; the old man got up with a shuffle still panting as Lys laid there her eyes wide and her body ridged._

"_Time's up," Lys' father Pete said, his hand still held firmly on the doorknob willing the old customer to ask for another paid fifteen minutes._

_The stranger waddled to the door, rummaging in his back pocket before pulling out a thin wad of notes and pressing them into Pete's filthy hand. "I'll see ya next week," he mumbled as he left the room._

_Lys laid there rigidly holding the stained sheet's up tight around her, her wide eyes staring at her father pleading._

_He scratched at his arm and brushed his greasy slicked back hair off his forehead. "Have a wash, there's another guy coming to see you in twenty minutes," he closed the door room throwing it into darkness. _

_Lys got up quickly her eyes filled with stubborn tears throwing her rough denim skirt up her slim thighs, before heading to the window opening it letting the cold air whoosh her in the face before making the familiar decent down the drainpipe to her only safe haven. _

**So what do you guys think?**

**There is a song that I love called 'Break in' by the fantastic **_**Halestorm**_, **it totally sums up Billy and Lys' relationship for this story if any of you fancy giving it a listen.**

**Please review : D **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello : ) **

**Thanks to all the people who read and alerted this, it means a lot- though your feedback would be greatly appreciated!**

**Also everyone should check out Miyuh story 'Nevermind' it's fantastic.**

**Please review- good or bad, I'll take it!**

**Everything in italics is a flashback. **

Dance if you wanna dance, if you wanna sweat  
Sweat if you wanna smell, go do it alone  
Fuck if you wanna fuck, if you wanna cum  
Sleep if you wanna sleep, talk more in the morn'

Cloud of Stink- Biffy Clyro

_Billy watched as Alyssa laughed loudly, her voice chiming off the old concrete walls of the underpass; she threw her blonde curls back, the one pink tendril falling backwards with the rest; she held a cigarette in her hand loosely, it burned down slowly as she sniggered at her best friend._

"_Shut the fuck up, it's not funny," he said though he still smiled widely himself. He reached forward watching as she bit her lip lightly as she tried to control her laughing before taking the half smoked cigarette out of her delicate fingers and placing it within his own. He puffed deeply on it once. "If it happened to ya, I'd like to see ya laughing about it then!"_

_Lys was still smiling widely. "Happen to me man? Do I look like I'm about to go out and take it up the ass?" she giggled, her curls bouncing with every laugh._

"_Ya would if ya could Lys, ain't my fault all the guys around here think ya a dyke," he joked, a wide grin on his pale face._

"_Hey fuck you!" Lys said teasing, her face still bright with laughter. "Don't take it out on me, s'not my fault ya got shit on ya dick!" She burst into fits of giggles again. "I mean seriously, ya fucked her like twice before why would you all of a sudden decide to put it up her ass?!"_

_They both stopped suddenly looking around thinking they could hear a rumble of an engine heading down towards them. When the rumble disappeared however, they both looked back at each other, and continued as though nothing had happened._

"_Fuck should I know," Billy admitted. "Tina's older than me and said she liked it, fuck did I know I'd get shit in my dick!" They both burst out laughing again before falling against the underpass' wall sliding down so that they both sat on the old dirty floor. _

_Tina was Billy's first real girlfriend and he had a serious hard on for her. Shit, what fourteen year old boy wouldn't? To start she was seventeen and experienced and had long tumbling raven hair that fell to the small of her back, glossy Caramel skin and the biggest pair of tit's Billy had ever seen, real or in one of his dads playboys. _

_Lys thought she was a whore._

_They both fell into comfortable silence with one another before Lys eventually rested her head on Billy's sculpted shoulder; they both watched intently as car after car sped past, both wishing that one would turn down their way looking for a deal. They both knew Bones wouldn't be happy if Billy didn't empty the bag full of heroin he had to his side._

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Alyssa staggered through her front door, trying desperately to be quiet as she kicked off her pink boots, a hand held to her head that was beginning to throb. God she was tired, she couldn't remember the last time she'd sat up all night drinking and laughing with friends.

One minute she was excitedly heading into the old run down bar that she had loved years before, the next she was steaming standing on her chair holding a shot in one hand, telling all the guys how much she loved them. The next second Billy had flung her over his strong shoulder, declaring she needed to sleep it off. Before she even knew how it had happened it was seven AM and she was waking up on Billy's couch in a panic knowing she needed to get home.

The cab ride had been a nightmare, her mouth was dryer than the Sahara desert and the driver was far too cheerful. Her head was beginning to ache and her eyes felt heavy with lack of sleep, and she knew Ethan wasn't going to be happy.

She crept quietly through the hallway and was about to take her first step upstairs when she heard movement from the living room. Lys turned with the smallest of groans, dreading Ethan's reaction; she'd hoped he would've been in work and she could have had a couple of hours shut eye before she would have had to listen to his complaints.

Pushing the door open with a creek she looked with tired eye's straight ahead at Ethan who sat in the armchair staring straight at her, grassy eyes narrowed in an angry glare, a bottle of bud twirled between his long fingers.

The room was long with old wooden floorboards that creaked when you stood heavily on them, the couch was old and stained but the TV in the corner stood proud, black and glossy, the newest thing inside the room by about ten years. The living room was still covered in darkness, the drapes pulled tightly.

"Where've you been?" Ethan asked, his voice monotone.

Lys ran a hand through her dishevelled hair. "I drank too much and fell asleep on Billy's couch," she said honestly.

Ethan clenched his jaw, the pale skin pulling over the bones tightly, and his eyes never left Lys' green orbs though he took a long gulp of his beer.

"How come you're not in work?" Lys asked, her heart hammering with nerves.

Ethan stood up quickly. "You think could go to work knowing you were with him," he shouted.

"Babe," Lys began stepping forward, her hands placed out in front of her. "He's just a friend, Billy's always been my friend."

Without Lys knowing it was going to happen Ethan suddenly threw the beer bottle against the wall, glass shattering into a million pieces, beer sprinkling the room. She jumped as the glass smashed before Ethan turned on her, with one long stride he was in front of her, his big hand holding her face in his hand tightly, forcing him to look into his eyes. He pushed backwards, Lys' short legs stumbling with the force until she slammed mercilessly into the doorframe- her head bouncing off the wooden frame.

"You think I believe you?!" he snarled, his face almost touching hers. "You are nothing but an old washed up whore, you'd be dead on the streets if it weren't for me!" He was screaming now, spit flying out of his mouth into Lys' scared face.

"I'm sorry," Lys' managed to squeak out of her squished up mouth.

"You smell like cigarettes too," Ethan said this time quietly, "You're disgusting," he whispered into her ear before throwing her down onto the old wooden floor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Music played loudly from some random party goers boom box filling the old abandoned warehouse with the deafening sound of nineties grunge. Groups of drunk and high teenagers gathered around the rickety building- some sat in circled groups on the floor passing shared joints around the room, others stood talking loudly arms flaying around as they debated wildly. Others stood dancing crazily, there hair flying through the air aggressively as they flung their heads back and forth. _

_And then there was Alyssa._

_She stood in the middle of the erratic dancers, her blonde hair brushed out so it fell in thick waves, random parts plaited and falling down her back; she wore baggy denim jeans that hung snugly on her small hips with a tight white vest covering her almost flat chest, a baggy checked green and black shirt hanging off her tiny frame. She spun happily, in a world that was only her own, her hair spinning around her like a dancing cape- a bottle of bud was gripped loosely within her delicate hand._

_Billy watched her with icy eyes, knowing Lys was more than high and more than incapable of taking care of herself. _

_A hand ran roughly through Billy's shaggy hair and he turned to find Tina standing there, her thin lips pursed into a thin line, her huge eyes wide and twinkling. She flicked her long hair over her shoulder and placed a hand on her hip. _

_She leaned down to where Billy was sitting with his back against the cold wall, her soft hands trailing from his head to his neck then down onto his chest, before he even realised she was sitting on his lap, her legs straddling him and her huge chest brushing against him._

_With an arrogant smirk Billy wrapped his bare arms around her, his big hands landing on the curves of her ass, his glassy eyes melting in her wide brown pools. _

_Tina rested her small hand on the hem of Billy's white wife beater, a long finger trailing his hip as she leaned forward her lips puckering. Billy's lips met hers eagerly, their tongues almost immediately dancing, blood red lipstick staining Billy's young face. _

_With a forceful grab Billy pulled Tina's body hard against him, wanting her to feel the effect she had on him. _

_She let out lustful moan not caring one bit they were in an old warehouse filled with people; seductively she began to gently brush her lips against Billy' sharp cheekbone before heading to his neck to suck at sloppily._

_As Tina worked the magic she was renowned for her raven curtain of hair fell back revealing the crowd before them. Billy's eyes were narrowed in desire, he almost didn't register Alyssa across the room._

_Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_Alyssa danced smiling widely to herself; she swayed drunkenly occasionally tripping over the untied laces of her scuffed and ripped converse. She swigged greedily at her beer before digging for a cigarette out of her jean pocket, stumbling slightly as she struggled to light what seemed to be a moving cigarette._

_Eventually after many failed attempts Lys managed to light her smoke and she puffed happily on it, loving the feel of the sweet nicotine filling her lungs. _

_As she blew a lungful of smoke out of her mouth she staggered forward falling slightly on a tall wide teenager with long scraggly black hair that fell in greasy mats down his sweaty back. His eyes were small, black and beady, his skin sallow and scabby. _

_His big hands landed on Lys' small waist as he steadied her and she instantly smiled goofily up at him, her emerald orbs glazed over and drooping. _

"_Ya okay?" the guy slurred down at Lys, his rancid hot breath against her cheek._

_She closed her eyes involuntarily as she nodded tiredly before her head slumped forward and rested heavily on the stranger's chest. He continued to steady her though his hands roamed higher until they were basically cupping her small breasts._

"_No," she mumbled, attempting to bat his hands off her with her own. She continued to push his hands away fruitlessly as they began to wonder in other directions the moment she pushed them off her chest. She began to stumble backwards, almost tripping, though his long arms engulfed around her pulling her close to him, though she tried her damned hardest to pull away._

"_C'mon baby," he grumbled, his invading hands began to shove themselves down the back of her jeans._

"_Nooo," she whined pulling away and dropping her cigarette to the floor carelessly. "Get off me," she said as she struggled within his grasp._

_All of a sudden, before she even realised what was happening, the greasy assailant was ripped off her aggressively causing her balance to shift unexpectantly and before she knew it she was tumbling to the floor, falling in a messy drunken heap. _

_Through slanted eyes Lys watched as Billy threw the stranger down to the floor, his balled up fist landing square on the guy's jaw before he began to kick violently at the wide man's ribs. A crowd was gathering the pair, the majority chanting the others looking back and forth trying to decide when to intervene. Lys tried to struggle to her feet before falling down again, her stomach suddenly churning; her throat felt like it was tightening as the urge to vomit all over herself began to take over._

_Whilst the crowd roared with excitement from the ongoing beating, Lys began to vomit whilst she struggled to hold her head up, eventually her delicate pale face falling to rest in it._

_The world spun and her cheek and hair were sticky; she wasn't sure how long she laid there for before she was yanked abruptly to her feet, her tiny frame sagging against the familiar warm side of Billy. _

_He wrapped a blood smeared arm around her dirt stained shoulders, holding her to his side as he began walking to the exit of the abandoned now quiet warehouse. _

"_I've been sick," Lys mumbled, her face sagging downwards._

"_No shit Sherlock," Billy gruffly replied as he continued to walk them out of the building. "C'mon duke of puke, let's get outta' here."_

_She smiled lightly against him, unaware that she was unintentionally wiping her vomit smeared cheek on his wife beater. _

"_Thanks Billy," Lys slurred, the first of many occasions she'd have to thank him for rescuing her. _

**Please review : )**


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